Railway-switch-actuating mechanism



(No Model.)

A. D. HIL

RAILWAFY SWITCH AUTUATING MEGHANISM.

Patented Oct. 19, 1897.

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UNITED .STATES PATENT EEICE.

ALBERT D. HILL, OE OTTAWA, ILLINOIS, AssIGNOR OE ONE-THIRD To JOHN PoI-ILIG, OE NEw- ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 592,143, dated October 19, 1897.

' Apliication fina Api-i1 5,1897. saturo. 630,765. on model.)

erated by devices carried by an engine or car traveling over the rails.

I will describe -a switch-actuating mechanism embodying my invention, and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a switch-operating mechanism embodying my improvement.

Fig. 2'is a section thereof onthe line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is arplan View, drawn on an enlarged scale, of a portion vof the device; and Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the .rails of a main track, and 2 the rails of a switch-track. Arranged at`the junction of the main rails and switch-rails are switchtongues 3, pivoted in the usual manner in a frog. Pivotally connected to the free ends of the switch-tongues 3 is a frame 4, and connected to this vframe 4 are rods 5 and 6, and upon each rod' and 6 is mounted to swing a dog comprising divergingarms 7 and 8, the

arms S being designed to engage with 'the teeth of a rack-bar 9, secured in a depression formedin the track-bed. Of course the shoulder portions of the teeth inthe rack-bar will be arranged at opposite directions from the.

center.

Extended longitudinally of the main track l is a horizontally-swinging lever 10, having at one end a pin 11, extended upward through an arc-slot in a covering-plate 12, and designed to be engaged by a part carried by an engine or a car, as will be hereinafter described. This lever 10 has pivotal connection with a lever 13, pivoted between the main tracks and having arms 14 and l5 extended, respectively, between the main tracks and the switchtracks. These arms 14 and 15 are provided with Apins 16 andv 17, extended upward through slot-openings in the covering-plate 12. At the junction of the levers 10 and 13 is a tappet comprising two arms 18 and 19, designed to engage with the arms 7 of the swinging dogs.

Carried by the engine or by a car is a shifting lever comprising an upright portion 20, which extends upward into the engine or car, and has a pin portion 21, designed to engage in one of a seriesofopenings in a plate 22, so that the shifting lever will be rigidly held in its adjusted position. The lower end of the shifting lever is provided with a horizontally-disposed portion 23, designed to engage with the pins extended upward from the levers. The shifting lever is designed to rotate,` so that it may be shifted to arrange its portion 23 at an angle relatively to the track, in order that the shifting levers of the switchtongues may be operated -in the desired di-v rection.

In operation, a train or car approaching the switch will engage the portion 23 of a shifting lever with a pin extending upward from the swtch-tongue-shifting levers, and, as this portion 23 is arranged at an angle, it is obvious that the lever 1() or 13, as the case may be, will be swung horizontally, and during this movement the arms 18 or 19 of the tappet carried by the levers will first engage vwith an arm 7 of a dog, raising the arm 8 out of engagement with the rack 9, and then upon a further movement of the levers the switchtongues will be shifted to the proper position.

It will be seen by the construction of my switch mechanism that the switch-tongues may be operated by a train going at full speed, and, further, that the expense of employing switchmen, signal-lights, and expensive locking devices will be avoided; and above all benefits, the great saving oftime by switching at any speed of the car; and, further, the car can enter or leave the switch independently of how the switch may have been left or placed by the preceding car; in fact, the operator turns to the right or left IOO just as the driver of a wagon turns to right or left at will, irrespective of where the preceding vehicle may have gone.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. Aswitch-operatingmechanism,comprising switches, a pivotal connection between said switches, levers extended in opposite directions from the switches and pivoted together, a tappet carried by the levers at their connecting-point, swinging dogs each comprising two diverging arms and adapted to be operated by the tappet, a rack for engagement with said dogs, and means carried by an engine or car for swinging the levers on their pivotal points, substantially as specified.

2. Inaswitch-operatingmechanism,switchtongues pivotally connected one with the other, swinging levers extended in opposite directions from the switch-tongues and having pivotal connection between the switchtongues, one of said swinging levers having diverging portions, pins extended upward from the ends of the levers, a tappet carried by the levers at their connecting-point, swinging dogs, each comprising two diverging arms, the inner ones of which are designed to be engaged by the tappet, a rack-bar for engagement with the outer arms of the dogs, and an adjustable shifting lever carried by an engine or car for engagement with the pins extended upward from the levers, substantially as described.

3. A railway-switch, comprising switches, a frame pivotally connected to the switches, rods connected to said frame, dogs mounted to swing on said rods and each consisting of diverging arms, a rack-bar designed to be engaged by the outer arms of the dogs, a horizontally-swinging lever, a tappet carried by said lever and adapted to engage with the inner arms of the dogs to raise the outer arms out of engagement with the rack-bar, a pin extended upward from the lever, and an adjustable shifting lever carried by an engine or car, substantially as specified.

Alrlltif'l l). I'IILL.

Vitnesses:

JOHN J. LocAN'rno, GUS BURKAR'P. 

